On Tuesday, the first session of TALKTRONICS took place, an initiative organized by the Student Group of Electronic Engineering – N3E – at Técnico. The talk featured Afonso Muralha, a former Electronic Engineering student at Técnico and currently an engineer at Spin.Works, along with Manuel Vaz, a current student of the same course and president of N3E. Throughout the session, Afonso shared a bit about his journey, from choosing the course to his current professional activities.

His interest in this field of engineering grew through activities organized by Técnico during summer holidays, and he highlighted that he began attending workshops in this area in the first year of his undergraduate degree. During his time at Técnico, which included both the bachelor’s and master’s programs, he was part of N3E and joined the team that participated in the National Robotics Festival in Coimbra, in the Factory category, which simulates a factory environment.

The alumnus emphasized that the student group plays a strong role in acquiring practical knowledge that complements the course, through the autonomous construction of prototypes without professor supervision – something highly valued in professional careers – as well as in developing soft skills, such as time management, balancing studies, extracurricular activities, and even part-time work. Afonso encouraged students to attend classes, acknowledging the challenges of juggling academic life with other projects.

He also highlighted the strong sense of community at Taguspark and the teamwork involved in building prototypes and participating in competitions.

As a student, Afonso Muralha was also responsible for developing the electronic circuits of the ISTSAT-1 satellite during his master’s thesis, for which he received the highest grade (20). He stressed that being involved in the satellite's development gave him hands-on experience with real-world challenges and allowed him to collaborate with people from different fields, providing a broader perspective. He noted that through this project, he had the opportunity to participate in testing campaigns and gain deeper insight into some European Space Agency protocols – for instance, writing reports when component failures are detected during tests.

During his master’s, the alumnus also began working at Spin.Works, supporting the review of circuit and hardware designs. The company operates in the aerospace sector and specializes in the production of embedded systems, development of computer vision and artificial intelligence systems, software, and navigation and control systems for space missions. As a result, these systems must be designed with considerations such as radiation, power management, and satellite launch in mind.

The session also included participation from current Técnico students, who asked various questions about the alumnus’s career path, particularly regarding working life in the electronic engineering field, where he hopes to continue in the future. There was also a discussion about the software and hardware services and products market, and the decision to stay and work in Portugal.

The event concluded with a coffee break, during which Afonso Muralha showcased some of the electronic components currently used in satellites, as well as images captured by them.